Doomsday Ascending
Doomsday Ascending is an in-progress dark/action novel written by Jerry Peet, aka "Bhaalspawn" on FIMFiction. The story currently spans 7 chapters, as of August 30, 2012.__TOC__ Summary ]] After helping Fluttershy with her annual count of the new animals born during mating season, Twilight spots a dark figure streak across the sky. Upon returning to Ponyville, she is shocked to find Sugarcube Corner demolished. While investigating the occurrence, the town is attacked by a tall figure in dark armor and a cloak. The figure does not speak a word as it immediately begins slaughtering the ponies in town. Gathering her friends and fleeing to Canterlot, Twilight informs Princess Celestia of what is happening, only to learn that it has been happening for a week in the other cities. Telling Twilight and her friends to find the Elements of Harmony, Celestia and Luna depart to fight the attacking creature. After defeating and killing both Princesses in combat, the Creature advances on the Element bearers. The power of the elements is ineffective, and is redirected into a wall via telekinesis. The Creature murders the Mane 6, save for Twilight, who screams for it to wait. The Creature obliges and commands her to speak and quickly. Twilight asks the Creature why it is attacking, and the Creature lifts her helmet from her head and explains that her race takes on the duty of destroying dead or dying worlds, and that the raw magical power that Equestria's population had been using had sapped the planet of its energy. After conversing for a while with Twilight on the nature of life and magic, the Creature, named Ascentia, decides to spare the planet, and restores its inhabitants to life. Twilight wakes up in the same field at Fluttershy's cottage. She hears Ascentia's voice tell her to ensure she does not have to return. Jump forward 15 years and Twilight has become an Arch-Mage and taken Pumpkin Cake as her own student. Both of them live in Canterlot, along with most of the Mane 6. Twilight is surprised to find Ascentia in her home one day, and Ascentia warns her that more of her kind are coming, having been displeased with her decision to spare Equestria. Twilight takes her to the Princesses to make a decision. Luna spits on Ascentia as an outlander, while Celestia takes her words with skepticism. After meditating with Twilight to show her what her commanders are doing, Canterlot is attacked by twisted creatures. Ascentia takes Celestia, Twilight, Pumpkin Cake and Fluttershy and flees to her home. Ascentia introduces the Princess and Twilight to Grand Lord Megan Ryder. Megan explains that one of her warriors, General Xebre, ignored her orders and attacked Equestria anyway, determined to finish Ascentia's job. After conferring with Twilight and Celestia, Megan dispatches Ascentia to Equestria to deal with the General. While camping out in the Everfree Forest, Ascentia tells Twilight and Fluttershy of her former mentor, a powerful Val'Kyr who raised her from childhood like a daughter. After sending Twilight and Fluttershy to Ponyville, Celestia and Pumpkin take to the skies to track the attacking beasts. Celestia detours to Canterlot to check on her sister. Twilight and Fluttershy sneak into Ponyville, where they are taken in by Pound Cake. Twilight reads some books Megan had given her to learn about the weapons and armor that the Val'Kyr use, and the three of them descover a highly dangerous spell that can be used to cripple them. While preparing herself to fight her General, Ascentia is challenged by Queen Chrysalis, who had watched her changelings by executed by General Xebre. Despite Ascentia's assurance that she was here to help, Chrysalis attacks her. After failing to overpower her, Chrysalis attempts to take the form of one of Ascentia's friends. Ascentia sees through the disguise due to Chrysalis' lapse in her form's mannerisms, and wounds her, causing her to fly off. Ascentia takes off in a sprint towards Canterlot. Celestia sneaks into the Throne room to find Luna murdered and an eerie message written in her blood. Ascentia arrives and tells her that Xebre would pay for his crimes. Celestia replies by saying that every single one of them, Ascentia included, would die for what had happened to Luna. As Celestia leaves, Ascentia meditates before being confronted and taunted by General Xebre. As Twilight and Fluttershy return to the Forest with Pound Cake, they are ambushed by a snide Val'Kyr. Twilight manages to kill it at the same moment Ascentia returns. Shocked at Twilight's accomplishment, Ascentia destroys the remains of the slain Val'Kyr before joining the ponies in the forest. Fluttershy and Ascentia share a conversation about the reality of their situation, Ascentia remarking that they were not going to solve the world's problems in 20 minutes, and that there would be death involved. As Ascentia explains what her initial mission had been and why she felt she was the cause of their misery, Celestia overhears them and attacks her in anger. She manages to wound (and by extension, cripple) Ascentia, before Princess Luna intervenes. Explaining that Celestia had been deceived by a clever illusion, Luna explains to a barely conscious Ascentia that if she is indeed there to help them, she will heed the command of the Princesses before ordering Twilight and Fluttershy to tend to her wounds and have her battle-ready. The next morning, the group attempted to infiltrate Canterlot, but were ambushed by Xebre's Val'Kyr. Ascentia and Twilight were transported to the icy planet of Neptune, while Pumpkin, Fluttershy, Celestia and Luna were taken captive. On Neptune, Ascentia and Twilight came across Queen Chrysalis, whom they assumed came to the planet in the same manner they did. Ascentia informs them of a powerful rune that can return them to Equestria, and gives Chrysalis an ultimatum. Help her retake Canterlot, or freeze to death on Neptune. Chrysalis agrees, hungry for revenge. Celestia and Luna are taken to the courtyard to witness the destruction of their species. Pumpkin is left in the dungeon and Fluttershy is executed by the guard for annoying him with her crying. Before Xebre can do anything, Ascentia challenges him and sets Chrysalis' changelings upon them. The ensuing battle kills most of Xebre's Val'Kyr, while Ascentia duels Xebre herself. Ascentia manages to disarm Xebre, causing Xebre to appeal to her serene nature by claiming that she cannot kill an unarmed opponent. Ascentia ignores him and executes him on the spot. Luna and Celestia inform Ascentia of a strange gem that Xebre had been holding, which instantly causes her to freeze up. A moment later, a strange portal opens up and a powerful deity steps out of it. Ascentia informs them that she is a dangerous, crazed former God, and that they should flee. Characters Ascentia Kortai The main character. Ascentia is a Val'Kyr (a highly trained warrior) tasked with eliminating General Xebre in the first act of the story. Ascentia is a calm, reserved person, taught to think rationally and never act out of emotion. Ascentia holds a soft spot for Twilight, thinking she might be the first mortal to understand her species. Ascentia is a highly skilled warrior, capable of besting the Princesses and Queen Chrysalis in physical combat. This battle skill extends to the rest of her race. Ascentia openly plays with Mary Sue clichés, at one point flicking her hand and causing a month of solar and lunar rotation to occur in a few seconds like it is nothing, and at another point redirecting the attack from the Elements of Harmony like she is swatting a fly. Megan Ryder Deity of the Milky Way Galaxy, and commander of the Val'Kyr. Megan is a cheerful being, and is the only non-Equestrian in the story to greet Princess Celestia like proper royalty (Ascentia merely being polite, and Xebre openly mocking her). Once a human from Earth, Megan made a Divine ascendance 4000 years before her home planet was destroyed. Megan does not appreciate the ceremony that Ascentia places on her (referring to her as "My Lord" or "Master") and has been trying to get her to drop the formalities. So far she has been unsuccessful. Departure from the show Much of the main plot takes place nearly two decades after anything that appears in the show. In that time, Twilight has become a wise mentor to Pumpkin Cake, and most of the Mane 6 have lived alterations of their in-show dreams. The exception is Pinkie Pie, who the author explains had died during the time-skip between the first and seconds chapters. Doomsday Ascending also explores the universe around Equestria, treating it like a planet. The Val'Kyr make their home in the Milky Way Galaxy, hovering over the remains of a destroyed Earth. The story acknowledges Humans, but as a race that the Val'Kyr wiped out. Ascentia also makes subtle references to the differences between their story and the show, once remarking to Fluttershy "What did you think this was, Fluttershy? Some Saturday morning cartoon?" and frequently alludes to the flaws of the ideology of children's cartoons. Derivative works A fan-written oneshot called "A Talk in the Night" was written by NintendoGal55 to explore Ascentia and Twilight's friendship. Video Game Main Article: Doomsday Ascending (Game) Bhaalspawn has begun work on a large adaptation of the story into a 2D RPG made with Enterbrain's RPG Maker engine. The first part of the game has already seen an official release. References Category:Fan fiction Category:Crossover